The Rt Rev Katharine Jefferts Schori, Primate of the Episcopal Church

Heartiest congratulations to The Right Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada, at being elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church in the United States. Chosen out of seven candidates, Bishop Schori is the first woman to be elected primate of an Anglican province.

As an atheist I have little concern generally for the internal affairs of religions; however, I was baptized and confirmed as an Anglican, so seeing my old church departing from its misogynist ways is pleasing. It still has a long way to go, however. Many Anglican congregations around the world have not yet accepted women as priests, never mind bishops. And the head of the church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, did not make haste in offering his congratulations to the new primate, his office saying he would send a letter the next morning. Nonetheless, yet another male bastion has fallen to women. Now among Christian churches at least, only the Catholics and Orthodox persist in universally treating women as spiritually inferior to men.

So, bonne chance to Bishop Schorri. May she do many good works.